Fuel feeding device



y 2, 1956 v c. J. KRQW 2,746,479

FUEL FEEDING DEVICE Filed June 26, 1951 IN V EN TOR. C661 \77 if), BY

United States Patent FUEL FEEDING DEVICE Cecil J. Krow, Ralston, Okla. Application June 26, 1951, Serial No. 233,582

8 Claims. (Cl. 137-340) and is related to my copending application, Serial No.'

192,004, filed October 25, 1950, for Fuel Feeding Device, now abandoned.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive combination gasoline and butane or propane system for conventional gasoline operated internal combustion engines.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the type described which may be readily attached to existing gasoline fuel feeding systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the described type which eliminates levers and fric: tional surfaces which eventually wear and require continual adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide heating means for preventing condensation and freeze-up of the liquid fuelsystem.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus which is extremely compact, economical of manufacture and simple in operation.

Other objects will be apparent from the specification, the appended claims and the drawings, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a form of the apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is a view showing modified form of the apparatus.

The fuel regulating device of this invention is adapted for use in fuel systems of internal combustion engines. In general, the invention comprises a housing having a high pressure regulator portion, a low pressure regulator portion, and inlet and outlet conduits. The inlet conduit is adapted for connection to a source of liquid petroleum the pressure of which may be in the neighborhood of 20-200 p. s. i. The liquid petroleum flows through the high pressure regulator portion of the device wherein it is reduced in pressure down to perhaps 5-9 p. s. i. The accompanying vaporization of the liquid draws heat from the surrounding portions of the regulator, and means are provided for supplying heat from the engine cooling system to prevent freezing of the parts. The vaporized liquid petroleum then flows to the low pressure regulator portion of the device where its pressure is again reduced. The repeated opening and closing of the low pressure regulator portion is controlled by the pressure at the outlet of fuel feeding device, this pressure in turn being controlled by the requirements of the engine. Reduction of pressure in the outlet will cause opening of the low pressure regulator valve, permitting flow of vaporized liquid petroleum until the outlet pressure is again built up to the predetermined figure, thus again closing the valve.

Referring specifically to Fig. 1, the fuel regulator 700 comprises a substantially cup-shaped housing 702 having a bottom wall 704 with an upstanding peripheral side wall 706. The bottom wall 704 is provided with an upwardly extending boss 708 which is provided with an internally threaded aperture 710 extending therethrough. A cover plate 712 forms the top wall for the housing 7 02 and is held thereagainst by means of a nut 714 threaded upon a nipple 716 which extends through a central aperture 718 of the cover plate 712 and is screw threaded within the aperture 710. If desired, gaskets 720 may be provided intermediate the cover plate 712 and the housing 702. The bottom wall 704 is provided with a peripheral downwardly extending boss 722 to provide a recess 724 which is closed by means of a diaphragm 726 having an aperture 728 which aligns with the boss aperture 710.

A cover plate 730 overlies the diaphragm 726 and is held to the housing 702 as by means of cap screws 732. It will be noted that the peripheral edge of the diaphragm is apertured to receive the cap screws 732 and is clamped between the cover plate 730 and the boss 722. Preferably a gasket 734 is provided intermediate the diaphragm 726 and plate 730 to provide a chamber 735 which is open to atmosphere through one or more apertures 756.

The lower cover plate 730 is provided with an aperture 736 aligned with the boss aperture 710 for receiving a fluid conveying conduit 738 which extends through the apertures 728 and 736 and is provided with an enlarged shoulder 740 which seats against the diaphragm 726. A nut 742 is screw threaded on the conduit 738 and may be tightened against the bottom cover plate 730 to clamp the diaphragm 726 between the shoulder 740 and the ad,- jacent surface of the cover plate 730 in a fluid tight ner. The inner end of the conduit 738 is formed to provide a valve seat 744.

A plate-like member 746 in the recess 724 seats against the adjacent surface of the diaphragm 726 and is provided with an offset pocket 748 which carries a valve seating member 750 cooperable with the valve seat 744 upon flexing of the diaphragm 726 to control flow of fluid through the conduit member 738 into the recess 724. The offset pocket 748 is provided with one or more apertures 751 to permit flow of fluid outwardly of the pocket into the recess or chamber 724. A spring 752is held under compression between the nipple 716 and the top surface of the offset pocket 748 for normally urging the valve seating member 750 against the valve seat 744. If desired,

the nipple may support a stop finger 754 engageable'by the member 746 to limit movement of the valve seating member 750 away from the valve seat 744. A plunger 758 is provided for manually moving the valve seat member 750 away from the valve seat 744 for manually permitting fluid flow through the conduit 738. This manual opening of the valve is often desirable when the internal combustion engine with which the regulator is associated is being started with fuel from the low pressure regulator.

It is desirable to reduce the pressure of the fuel supplied from the storage tank (not shown) through a high pressure regulator to permit more accurate regulation of the low pressure fuel flowing outwardly of the nipple 716.

For this purpose there is provided a high pressure regulator 760 having an inlet connection 762 for connection to the source of high pressure fuel and an outlet connection 764. A conduit 766 connects this outlet 764 with the interior of the conduit 738.

It is often desirable to warm the liquid fuel flowing to the regulator 760 to aid in its vaporization and for this purpose a coiled conduit 768, which may be of copper or other suitable heat conducting material, is located within the cup-shaped housing 702 and is connected at one end to the inlet 762 of the regulator 760 and connected at its other end to a suitable fitting 770 for connection with the usual liquid petroleum fuel line from the source of fuel supply. The regulating device, as above indicated, is adapted for use on internal combustion engines having liquid coolant systems and the cup-shaped housing 702 3 may be connected into such coolant systems by means of suitable conduits 772.

It will be noted that the high pressure regulator 768 is carried by the upper cover plate 712 and extends within the interior of the cup-shaped member .702 whereby it is positioned to be in heat exchange relation with the fluid circulating therein. The regulator 760 is provided with the usual pressure adjustment control 774 for determining the intermediate pressure supplied to the conduit 766 as by means of adjusting the force exerted by the spring 767.

In Fig. 2, the fuel regulator 800 comprises a downwardly opening cup-shaped member 802 having an end wall 884 and a peripheral side wall 806. The end wall 8% is provided with an upwardly extending peripheral flange 898 for receiving a flexible diaphragm Sill. A cap member 812 overlies the diaphragm and a second cap member 814 o erlies the first cap member 812. The cap members 314 and 312 may be suitably clamped together and to the peripheral flange 808 by means of suitable cap screws 816. The periphery of the diaphragm 810 is clamped between the flange 808 and the cup-shaped member 8-12 and is apertured to permit insertion of the cap screws 316. if desired, a gasket 818 may be provided between the two cap members 812 and 814. Atmosphere pressure is maintained under the diaphragm 810 by means of one or more apertures 819.

The cup-shaped member 802 is closed by means of a cover plate 828 which seats against the outer ends of the peripheral wall 806 and a gasket 821 may be inserted therebetween, if desired. The cover plate 820 is provided with a boss 822 which extends into the cup-shaped housing SM and which boss is provided with an aperture 824 extending therethrough. The aperture 824 is preferably threaded at its end portion adjacent the end wall 8M. The end wall 804 and diaphragm 810 are provided with aligned apertures 82.6 and 828 which are aligned with the aperture 824. A conduit member 830 extends through the apertures 824, 826 and 828 and is screw threaded into the aperture 824. A shoulder 832 on the member 839 clamps the diaphragm 810 in fluid tight re-v lation to a boss surrounding the aperture 826 in the wall 804, and holds the cover plate 820 against the wall 806 in a fluid tight manner. The boss 822 has an L-shaped passageway 334 which opens downwardly and outwardly through the outer surface of the cover plate 820 and also laterally into the interior of the cup-shaped member 802. The aperture 834 is provided with a sleeve member 836 provided at its inner end with a valve seat 838. A valve member 840 cooperates with the seat 838 to control flow of fluid through the passageway 834 and has a stem portion 842 which extends through the member 836 and outwardly of the cover plate 820. Its extending end portion is secured to a diaphragm 844 overlying the openings of the apertures 824 and 834 through the plate 820. A cap member 846 carried by the cover plate 820 overlies the diaphragm 844 and protects it against injury. The cap member 846 is provided with a screw threaded aperture in which is screw threaded an adjusting screw 848 which holds a spring 858 under compression against the diaphragm 844- and exerts a force tending to move the valve member 840 away from the seat 838. One or more apertures 851 are provided in the cap member 846 to maintain the space between this member and the diaphragm 844 at atmospheric pressure.

A coil of tubing 852, which is of suitable heat conducting material such as copper, is placed within the interior of the cup-shaped member 802 and has one end portion suitably secured in fluid tight relation as by fitting 854 to the laterally extending portion of the aperture 834. The other end portion of tubing 852 is suitably connected to an inlet boss 856 in the bottom cover plate 820 for connection to a source of liquid petroleum supply. The wall 866 of the cup-shaped member 802 is provided with a pair of diametrically spaced threaded apertures to provide inlet and outlet passageways 857 and 858 respectively for the flow of coolant to and from the interior of the cup-shaped member 802 to heat the fuel within the tubing 852.

The conduit 830 is provided at its upper end with a valve seat 860. A substantially rigid disk 862 overlies the upper surface of the diaphragm 810 and may be suitably secured thereto as by one or more rivets 864 and is provided with a central oifset portion 866 which carries a valve seating member 868 cooperable with the valve seat 860 upon flexing of the diaphragm 810 to control flow of fluid through the conduit 830. The ofiset portion 866 is provided with one or more apertures 870 to permit flow of fluid outwardly into chamber 872 formed intermediate the cap member 812 and the adjacent surface of the diaphragm 810.

The cap members 812 and 814 have aligned apertures aligned with the valve seat 860 in which is screw threaded an adjusting nut 874. A coil spring 876 held under compression between the adjusting nut 874 and the offset portion 866 acts to urge the valve seating member 868 against the valve seat 860. The cap member 812 also has a threaded aperture 878 in which is screw threaded a conduit 880 which extends through an aligned aperture in the cover plate 814 and serves as a fluid passageway for transmitting the fluid from the chamber 872 to a hose (not shown) for supply of regulated fluid to the engine. Preferably the conduit 880 extends through the cap member 814 in a fluid tight manner such as a nut clamped gasket 882.

The space between the cap members 812 and 814 provides a chamber 884 which is in heat exchange relation through the cap member 812 with the chamber 872. The cap member 814 is provided with a pair of diametrically spaced inlet and outlet passageways 886, 887 for the flow of coolant from the internal combustion engine supplied by the regulator 800. Preferably the passageway 886 opening into the chamber 884 serving as the inlet is connected to the outlet passageway 858 from the interior of the cup-shaped member 802 so that coolant supplied to the inlet passageway 857 of the cup-shaped member 802 is returned to the internal combustion engine system through the outlet passageway 887 of the cap member 814.

While I have shown and specifically described preferred embodiments of my invention as required by the patent statutes, it is to be distinctly understood that many modifications in structural arrangement can be made and still come within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a fluid controlling device, a cup-shaped member having an end Wall and an outwardly extending peripheral wall, a cover for said member having a boss positioned within said member and facing one surface of said end wall, said end wall and said boss being provided with aligned apertures, said boss aperture being internally screw threaded, a fluid inlet connection to said boss aperture, a cap member overlying the surface of said end wall opposite to said one surface, a flexible member having a peripheral portion clamped by said cap member against said opposite surface and having an aperture aligned with said aligned apertures, a vent connection to the chamber formed between said flexible member and said end wall, a fluid outlet connection to the chamber formed between said flexible member and said cap member, whereby pressure differentials between said chambers will cause flexing of said flexible member, an externally threaded fluid conveying member extending through said apertures and threaded within said threaded aperture and having a shoulder seating against and clamping said flexible member to said end wall and clamping said cover member to said peripheral wall, said fluid member having a valve seat opening into a space hetween said flexible member and said cap member, and a valve member cooperable with said seat to control flow of fluid through said fluid conveying member, said valve member being operatively connected with said flexible member for movement relativ e to said seat as a consequence of flexing of said flexible member;

2. In a fluid controlling device, a cup-shaped member having an end wall and an outwardly extending peripheral wall, a cover for said member having a boss positioned within said member andfacing one surface of said end wall, said end wall and said boss being provided with aligned apertures, a fluid inlet connection to said boss aperture, a flexible member overlying a surface of said wall opposite to said one surface and having its peripheral portion held against said opposite surface and having an aperture aligned with said aligned apertures, a fluid conveying member extending through said apertures and secured to said boss and having a shoulder seating against and clamping said flexible member adjacent its said aperture in fixed position with said end wall and clamping said cover member in fixed relation with said peripheral wall, said fluid member having a valve seat on the opposite side of said flexible member from said end wall, a chamber formed between said flexible member and said end wall, a vent connection for said last-mentioned chamber, a second chamber formed on the opposite side of said flexible member, a fluid outlet connection for said second chamber, whereby pressure dilferentials between said chambers will cause flexing of said flexible member, and a valve member operatively connected to said flexible member and cooperable with said seat to control flow of fluid through said fluid conveying member as a consequence of flexing of said flexible member.

3. In a fluid controlling device, a hollow member having an end Wall and an outwardly extending peripheral wall, a cover for said member having a boss positioned within said member and facing one surface of said end wall, said end wall and said boss being provided with aligned apertures, said boss aperture being internally screw threaded, a fluid inlet connection to said boss aperture, a cap member overlying the surface of said end wall opposite to said one surface, a flexible member "having a peripheral portion clamped by said cap member against said opposite surface and having an aperture aligned with said aligned apertures, a vent connection to the chamber formed between said flexible member and said end wall, a fluid outlet connection to the chamber formed between said flexible member and said cap member, whereby pressure differentials between said chambers will cause flexing of said flexible member, an externally threaded fluid conveying member extending through said apertures and threaded within said threaded aperture and having a shoulder seating against and clamping said flexible member to said end wall and clamping said cover t member to said peripheral wall, said fluid member having a valve seat opening into a space between said flexible member and said cap member, a valve member cooperable with said seat to control flow of fluid through said fluid conveying member, said valve member being operatively connected with said flexible member for movement relative to said seat as a consequence of flexing of said flexible member, a second hollow member overlying said cap member and cooperable therewith to provide a fluid chamber in heat transfer relation with said cap member space, and means securing said second hollow member to said first hollow member and clampingly securing said second hollow member and said cap member and said flexible member to said first-named hollow member.-

4. The combination of claim 3 in which a fluid conduit is provided in one of said hollow members, means for'connecting one end portion of said fluid conduit with said fluid conveying member, and means for connecting a second end portion of, said fluid conduit externally of said device. 1 1

5. In a fluid controlling device, a housing having a pair of spaced walls and an intermediate wall to provide a pair of chambers, a flexible diaphragm intermediate one of said spaced walls and saidintermediate wall and separating one of said chambers into a pair of chamber portions, a vent connection to one of said chamber portions, said intermediate wall having a boss extending therefrom into the other of saidchambers toward the other of said spaced walls, said-walls and said boss having aligned apertures, a hollow member extending through said apertures in said one spaced walland said diaphragm and having a shoulder clamping said diaphragm adjacent the periphery of said diaphragm aperture against said one spaced wall, means providing a regulated flow of fluid, to said hollow member, said hollow member having a valve seat located intermediate'said diaphragm and said boss aperture, a fluid flow controlling member cooperable with said seat for controlling the flowof fluid from said hollow member to said boss aperture, means for sealing the interior of said boss aperture from the interior of said other chamber and providing a fluid passageway to the outside of said housing from the second of said pair of chamber portions,pressure differentials between said chamber portions causing flexing of said flexible member, means providing an inlet and an outlet to said other chamber for the flow of fluid, and a conduit in heat exchange relation with the fluid in said other chamber and in fluid flow communication with said hollow member, to provide a fluid inlet therefor.

6. In a fluid controlling device, a housing having a chamber with an apertured wall, a fluid conveying member extending through said aperture and provided with a shoulder positioned within said chamber and overlying a portion of said well, said member being provided with a fluid inlet connection and an outlet port discharging into said chamber, partition wall means within and dividing said chamber into a pair of chamber portions, said partition means having an aperture through which said conveying portion extends and an outer peripheral portion sealed to said chamber, said shoulder acting to clamp said partition means adjacent said aperture to said wall whereby said chamber portions are sealed from each other, a vent connected to one of said chamber portions, a fluid outlet connected to the other of said chamber portions, said partition means having a flexible portion responsive to the difference in fluid pressure in said chamber portions, and a valve member cooperable with said port to control flow of fluid through said conveying portion, said valve member being operatively connected to said flexible portion for movement thereby relative to said port.

7. In a fluid controlling device, a housing having a chamber formed by oppositely disposed walls, an aperture through one of said walls, a boss surrounding said aperture and projecting into said chamber, a diaphragm extending across said chamber in substantial parallel relation to said walls in the plane of the outward end surface of said boss, said diaphragm having an aperture aligned with said wall aperture, a vent connection to one of the chamber portions formed by said diaphragm, a fluid outlet connection for the other of said chamber portions, 2. shouldered tubular member extending through said apertures, a fluid connection to said tubular mem ber, means securing said tubular member in fixed relation with said wall with said shoulder clamping said diaphragm against said boss end surface, and a plate-like wall and having a portion overlying said tubular member, said last-mentioned portion including means cooperable with said tubular member to control fluid flow therethrough.

8. In a fluid controlling device, a housing having a chamber formed by oppositely disposed Walls, an annular diaphragm separating said chamber into two portions, a fluid conveying member carried in fixed position relative to said housing, said fluid conveying member extending through the opening in said diaphragm and having a valve port opening into one of said chamber portions, means sealing said annular diaphragm to said fluid conveying member, means providing a fluid outlet from said one chamber portion, a vent connection to said other chamber portion, whereby pressure differentials between said chamber portions will cause flexing of said diaphragm, a port closing member operably connected to said diaphragm and movable by said diaphragm relative to said port upon flexing of said diaphragm whereby to control the flow of fluid from said fluid conveying member, an additional chamber formed outwardly of one of said housing walls, a second additional chamber formed outwardly of the other of said housing walls, a fluid inlet connection to one of said chambers, a fluid 8 outlet connection to the other of said chambers, and a fluid connection between said chambers, whereby fluid can flow through said chambers and in heat exchange relation with the walls of saidhousing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 343,125 Hazlet June 1, 1886 478,480 Sweeny July 5, 1892 762,274 Bourseau June 14, 1904 1,583,140 Goodman May 4, 1926 1,795,201 Dashwood Mar. 3, 1931 1,818,061 Holley Aug. 11, 1931 1,819,370 Hvid Aug. 18, 1931 2,240,846 Hanson May 6, 1941 2,426,639 OLeary Sept. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,632 Germany 1884 107,495 Great Britain July 5, 1917 

